Life or Death

Forensic Instincts #11

by Andrea Kane

Who killed Ryan McKay’s cousin?

In suburban Westchester County, just outside the frenetic pace of New York City, a deadly murder occurs. After a violent struggle, FBI agent Shane Walsh is dead and his wife, Caitlin, has vanished. At the urging of a mysterious text, the Walshes’ nine-year-old daughter, Kennedy, has been safely whisked away by a close family member.

The FBI is determined to bring down whoever assassinated one of its own and is focusing on Caitlin as a prime suspect. Ryan McKay, Forensic Instincts’ chief technology officer, as well as Shane’s cousin and lifelong friend, vehemently disagrees. Ryan knows the Walsh family well. He insists that Caitlin is innocent, and that she, herself, is in danger.

After convincing his team to cast a wider net, Ryan leads FI on a zigzag course across two continents to locate Caitlin, sidestepping the FBI at every turn, and protecting Kennedy at all costs. But the FBI is on the warpath, and threatens to permanently shut down Forensic Instincts if they don’t back off. Undeterred by the FBI’s threats, FI goes underground in pursuit of their rogue mission.

As the pace quickens, Kennedy becomes the target of unnerving text messages. Both The FBI and the Forensic Instincts teams sense that the end game is near and that the chess match is spiraling to a stunning conclusion. Determined to declare “checkmate” before the killer, Forensic Instincts must not only protect Kennedy but make sure that their team doesn’t end up as collateral damage when the king falls.

Genres: Mystery

304 pages, Hardcover

First published March 17, 2026

About the author

Coming in March 2019 from Andrea Kane: DEAD IN A WEEK.

Andrea Kane is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of twenty-nine novels, including fifteen psychological thrillers and fourteen historical romantic suspense titles. With her signature style, Kane creates unforgettable characters and confronts them with life-threatening danger. As a master of suspense, she weaves them into exciting, carefully-researched stories, pushing them to the edge—and keeping her readers up all night.

Kane’s first contemporary suspense thriller, Run for Your Life, became an instant New York Times bestseller. She followed with a string of bestselling psychological thrillers including No Way Out, Twisted, and Drawn in Blood.

Her latest in the highly successful Forensic Instincts series, Dead in a Week, adds the Zermatt Group into the mix—a covert team of former military and spy agency operatives. With a week to save a young woman from ruthless kidnappers, this globe-spanning chase, from the beerhalls of Germany, to the tech gardens of California, to the skyscrapers of China, and finally the farmlands of Croatia will keep readers guessing until the very end. The first showcase of Forensic Instincts’ talents came with the New York Times bestseller, The Girl Who Disappeared Twice, followed by The Line Between Here and Gone, The Stranger You Know, The Silence that Speaks, The Murder That Never Was, and A Face to Die For.

Kane’s beloved historical romantic suspense novels include My Heart’s Desire, Samantha, Echoes in the Mist, and Wishes in the Wind.

With a worldwide following of passionate readers, her books have been published in more than twenty languages.

Kane lives in New Jersey with her husband and family. She’s an avid crossword puzzle solver and a diehard Yankees fan. Otherwise, she’s either writing or playing with her Pomeranian, Mischief, who does his best to keep her from writing.

Reviews

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have liked this series. Kane has created and interesting mix of people in the Forensic Instincts group, including a woman who has deep insight and can detect truths from items belonging to a victim. Having read all of the books in the series, I know the group well and appreciate each one's unique abilities. If this is your first read in this series, don't worry as Kane has given a good introduction to the team members at the beginning of this book. The relationships between the team members is important and Kane spends a good amount of time on that. Here, for example, FI owner Casey and her FBI agent husband get into quite a disagreement when FI makes serious advances on a case when the FBI is stymied. I appreciated the detailed explanation of how the FBI would inform and support a girl whose father was murdered and mother is missing.

This is a good series for readers who like investigative type mysteries that include much information about the people involved. The personal lives of FI members play an important part of this ongoing series, making it more interesting than just a pure investigation novel. I recommend it.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Partners in Crime Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.

[Wall-to-wall books - wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

MY THOUGHTS -
Andrea Kane is just so dang clever! I’ve been a fan of hers for quite a while now, but I swear every time I read a new one, I’m blown away all over again! OMG—I absolutely loved this one! I know I say this literally every single time, but seriously… this one really might be my favorite!

There are a lot of characters to keep track of, I’ll admit that. But my only suggestion to you is… just read all the books! LOL. Trust me—you won’t regret it! The more you read, the more you get to know everyone and start to feel like part of their family. This one really highlights Ryan and Claire, and I was here for it. I love both of these characters, but I especially love Claire who is Claire-voyant 😆. I also love that these books have just a touch of paranormal elements. And then there's Kennedy, a sweet nine year old who almost steals the show! She did steal my heart.

Job well done, Andrea! I can’t wait for the next book—I’m a fan forever.


I voluntarily posted this review after receiving an e-copy of this book from Partners in Crime Tours. Thank You!

[Darcy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one hit a little to close to home for the team. I really liked how everyone immediately stepped up to help Ryan and his family figure out what was going on. Even to the point where it seemed like there might be a big problem between Casey and Hutch for how FI was investigating things. It was nice to see how things resolved and for those involved to get back to their new normal.

[Teresa Simone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an exceptional book.

Andrea Kane is an exceptional author. I love reading her FI Books. She is my number one author that develops her story lines exceptionally. I cannot wait to read her next book. Thank you Andrea!